When to go to Saudi Arabia

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is an arid country where rainfall drops only in coastal areas and desert storms blanket the larger cities in thick dust for weeks.

Ground temperature swells to 45 °C (113 °F) during the summer months of May to September, while dropping to as low as 0 °C (32 °F), especially in the highlands, by mid-November to March.

Despite the country’s prominent desert features, where sand dunes as big as oil tankers rise at Rub’ al Khali, there are pockets of fragrant juniper forests in the highlands, differentiating it from the dry lowland scenery. Mists roll down the mountains around Taif, making the small city an excellent place to go to for those seeking to escape the lowlands’ searing heat.

If you find yourself in Riyadh during the month of January, a horse-racing festival takes place in the capital. Organized by the sultan himself, the festival promotes not only the Arabian tradition of horse rearing but also the equestrian disciplines that made the Arabs known the world over.

However, if you’re planning to go to Saudi Arabia during the month of Ramadan, consider the flood of humanity making their hajj to Mecca. Not only will the hotels be fully occupied in the cities, restaurants and malls will also be closed during the day.